The GT cuties have made excellent progress in their projects this week! Each grade level is working on a different challenge, but all of the GT students come to class with similar energy and focus. They are ceaselessly motivated to take on new projects, and their positive learning attitudes consistently make the learning environment pleasant and inspiring.The kindergartners enjoy working with tangrams. The tangram is a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape using all seven pieces, which may not overlap. The GT cuties like to solve puzzles posed to them, but they are currently using critical and creative thinking to generate their own shapes. Each student is working on a Tangram Alphabet Book. They are using all of the tangram pieces to form each letter of the alphabet. Because they are capturing their work using their iPads, we can transform pictures of their letters into a book once they finish.In 1st grade GT the students are making dramatic progress on the bridges they are building using drinking straws. At this point the bridges have proper span, but the support systems are not yet strong enough to hold the weight of the can of beans. The students were given six paper towel rolls to help support their bridges. We hope that by the end of next week the bridges are complete and ready to test and retest with a variety of objects. Students will be making a video about their bridge once it is complete.Origami is all around us! The 2nd grade GT cuties learned that lesson this week as we watched an amazing video about a physicist and origamist Robert Lang. This fascinating video shows us how real life scientists benefit from origami techniques. Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/DJ4hDppP_SQThe 2nd graders are growing more confident at origami each day, and they are challenging themselves to take on more and more difficult folds.Using recyclables to build is one of the funnest parts of GT! In 3rd grade the cuties are happily designing and building marble mazes using materials you may find in the recycling bin. Working independently on a project like this means you get to make all the decisions; it also means that you have to solve all the problems! The students are using strong problem solving skills and perseverance as they attempt to make their ideas reality.The Great Paper Airplane Contest has inspired our class! The 4th grade GT cuties have split into two companies: "Imagine Airlines" and "Paper of the Future." This week they made a company slogan and logo. They also chose job titles from the following list: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Marketing Director, Research and Development Director. Organizing the company is a very important first step. Each person must know the company's overall message and mission. Plus, each person must know their role in the company. Next week we will begin to learn about, and plan for, the auction we will hold to sell materials for the project.There are three teams of 5th grade GT cuties - all of them are working towards the same goal. The goal is making a permanent piece of art for the GT classroom. The winning design is Snoopy laying on his doghouse. The doghouse will be decorated with the students' names. The first team to meet was the design team. They made a scale drawing/plan of the artwork. They included specific measurements as well as ideas of how to connect the different pieces of it. Next, the design team shared the plan with the house team. That team is responsible for making the doghouse and roof. The Snoopy team met with the designers also, so they could hear and see all the details of the Snoopy and Woodstock they will be making. Next week the building of the artwork will begin!